Wednesday, April 27, 2016

How To Detox Through Your Feet

Detoxing through your feet can be an effective and easy way to help cleanse your body of toxins that build up over time — without the sacrifice of cutting certain foods out of your diet. Furthermore, foot detoxification is considered by many to be one of the safest forms of detoxificaiton. There are many types of foot detox procedures, including foot detox pads and detox foot spas, both homemade and electric; taking advantage of either of these methods can lead to a healthier life and a natural body cleanse.

Here’s how they work:

Foot detox pads

These pads are typically made from tree and bamboo extracts, and can be purchased at just about any health food store. Foot detox pads, also known as foot detox patches, have their origins in Japanese culture and are simple to use.

In most cases, applying the foot detox pads before you go to sleep and removing them when you wake up will do the trick. Most find the pads darkened with the toxins removed from your body overnight from just a single use. Users of foot detox pads report feeling less fatigue, less joint pain, and fewer headaches.

Ionic foot baths are used to detoxify the body by extracting toxins from, yep, you guessed it, your feet. Ionic foot baths use an electrical process that produces positive and negative ions in warm saltwater.

How ionic detox foot baths work

Ionic detox foot baths work by ionizing warm saltwater with alternating polarities as you breathe easy and enjoy the sense of well-being that comes from both soaking and cleansing your feet.

While your feet bathe, toxins are released from your body. These toxins are often the result of unhealthy eating habits, mainly the consistent consumption of processed foods and saturated fats. We also breathe in other toxins when surrounded by air pollution,and they sit in us when we do not exercise.

Ions and electrons The idea behind ionic foot baths is a process called electrolysis, a method of using an electrical current to create a chemical reaction. Energy is charged through the saltwater, breaking down water molecules into ions. Warm water opens the pores of the feet, salt acts as an anti-inflammatory astringent, ions are absorbed and the detoxification of your feet begins.

Once the saltwater has been added to the foot bath, you’ll see the water change color, often to a dark mud-brown, or, in some cases, black, color. The color change occurs as a result of the salt reacting with the ionic cartridge (or other method used to produce the ionic charge). It is not a result of toxins leaving your body, as some mistakenly believe.

Soak those feet!

Unlike some other detox products, ionic foot baths can be used regularly for up to 45 minutes at a time, as frequently as every other day if desired. (It is not necessary to use a foot detox machine more than once a day to achieve the desired results of deep-foot cleansing.)

Besides the benefits of detoxing the skin of your feet, ionic foot baths are both soothing and relaxing. There’s nothing quite like coming home to a warm saltwater ion foot bath as you unwind in your favorite chair after a long day. Combining deep breathing techniques and meditative practice with the use of your foot bath will help increase your body’s supply of oxygen while giving you an overall sense of calm and well-being. So, go ahead — soak those feet.

Recipe for homemade detox foot bath

Use a simple container from your home that’s large enough for both of your feet to fit comfortably.

To prepare a detox foot bath, first visit your local health and nutrition store to purchase an herb packet specifically for foot detoxification. If you can’t get to a health food store, or can’t find the right herb packet , you can try common ingredients found in your own cabinets, such as tea, dried hot peppers, garlic, ginger or dried citrus fruit peels. Tea (green tea, regular tea or any of the specialty herb teas) is especially effective, and can also help eliminate problematic foot odor caused by toxins. Experiement with a combination of any or all of these ingredients.

Then, mix your store-bought or home-made herb concoction with very hot water (about the same temperature as a hot tub) in your foot bath. Soak your feet for 25 minutes — relax and enjoy.